Minorities call school a hostile place, poll finds

WASHINGTON — Black and Hispanic students see school as a more rowdy, disrespectful and dangerous place than their white classmates do, a poll says.

The findings suggest that many minority kids are struggling in the equivalent of a hostile work environment, according to Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research group that tracks education trends.

Minority children in public middle and high schools are more likely than white children to describe profanity, truancy, fighting, weapons and drug abuse as "very serious" problems.

The black and Hispanic children — under pressure to close their test-score gaps with whites — also see more pervasive academic woes, such as lower standards, higher dropout rates and kids who advance even if they don't learn.

"There is so much discussion about the achievement gap, and we talk about teachers and curriculum and testing and money," said Jean Johnson, Public Agenda's executive vice president and an author of the report.

"We need to add something to that list: school climate. For these kids, it has become such a distracting atmosphere," Johnson said.

Thirty percent of black students surveyed said teachers spend more time trying to keep order in class than teaching; 14 percent of white students said the same.

More than half of black students said kids who lack respect for teachers and use bad language are a very serious problem, compared to less than one-third of white students.

Hispanic students also reported worse social and academic conditions in school than white children, although the gaps were not as large as they were between blacks and whites.

"Students of color are correct in their understanding that their schools get less in the way of resources and offer less in the way of high standards," said Ross Wiener, policy director of The Education Trust, an advocacy group for poor and minority children. "It is a shame that a country dedicated to equal opportunity tolerates these inequities."

Majorities of children said they are learning a lot in reading, writing and math classes. Most students said at least one teacher has gotten them interested in a subject they usually dislike.

The students agreed on matters of work ethic, too.

About eight in 10 said it is good for school districts to require higher standards, even if that means kids must go to summer school. Almost 60 percent of black students acknowledged they could try a little harder, compared to 53 percent of Hispanics and 46 percent of whites.